Thank you to
Guest
I'm no senpaii :) I'm still a beginner just like all of you :D YES, THE MAIN PAIRING IS AKAKURO XD Sorry for that, but it's necessary.. I'm also sad to give such a small amount of akakuro scene D:
Sadistic Crimson Angel Akashi
Thank youuuuuu ! XD I hope I give enough dose of akakuro in this chapter ;) but then again, there's no 'enough' for akakuro XD
TrickstoTricks
of course laaa XD kuroko is forever GoM's XD
miki565
Thanks ! XD I was suprised too XD And share the milkshake to mee :D and like omigoshies too, I also LOVE possessive Akashi XD Let us fangirl-ed over this. And thank you for saying that you would wait for my update XD So sorry that it took SO LONG
hitomi65
thank you!
thanks! and of course, STOP SOPA PPL!
Tennu
Agreeeeed~~
Swtazngrl5
thank you! And amien. Desperately need luck for the exam's result :")
BerryBliss
OMG, when it comes out we should discuss it together! I can't barely wait for the second season too! XDD Thank youuuu!
Shokonetsu
AKAKURO ROCKS THE WORLD
Thank you very much! I'm glad that you enjoyed this story! :D Cliffhanger is part of my description job HUAHAHAHAH /no nonono, of course not ;) SAME HEREE! XDYeah, I agree on that... And of course, I think GoM see Kuroko as their somewhat favorite friends, so no matter what I think they won't be able to hurt him in any aspect..at least you! The exams are HORRIBLE. Desperately need luck for the result D":
hate1994
Thank you! I hope you are satisfied with this chapter!
123ANIMEfun
ah, I also often ignore my school work in favor for some stories' updates~ But I'm really flattered that you also do that for this story's update XD and yeah, totally agreed on your opinion about akakuro and kagakuro~ XD and of course it's going to be a happy end...or not ? ;) I'll try to update faster too :D
Fobetor
nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Heck no. Always akakuro in this story XD and thank you!
Kayla
and OMG THANK YOU VERY MUCH! I'm glad that you like this story ! XD
DiavolSange
Thank you ! And this is the updatee~
And last but not the least, AoKazuSei who has helped me in beta-ed this story J
Beta-ed byAoKazuSei
Timeline
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DarkBlueLynx
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Part XII
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Pain. Pain.
It hurts.
Fear. Fear.
I'm scared.
Why aren't you here yet ?
.
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Somewhere
"I'm-I'm sorry ! Pl-please forgive me !" A man begged as a gun was pointed to his head. He was sweating profusely, traces of dried blood were visible on his temple.
"Forgive you ?"A young man who sat in front of the kneeling man just smiled innocently.
"Y-yes, ple-please… just give me another chance…" Tears streamed out from his swollen black eyes. He let out a small desperate whimper when he felt the gun nudged the back of his head; it seemed the boss' right hand man disapproved of the man's disgraceful beg.
"Another chance...?" The young man tilted his head cutely. The act was rewarded with a smirk by his most trusted man.
"Y-yes! I'll definitely succeed! I'll k-kill him this time!" the man shouted, thinking that he still has a chance from his imminent death. Though, confusion quickly replaced his short-lived joy when he realized that his boss was no longer grinning.
"Kill him ?" the young man whispered as he casted his eye down.
"Wh-Wha-"
The man let out a small shriek of fear when an angry, loud voice startled the hell out of him.
"KILL HIM ?" The young man raged with fury. Gone the innocent and naive expression he had earlier.
"Wh-Wha-"
"I ORDERED YOU TO HARM HIM YOU INSOLENT FOOL!" he lashed out as he stalked forward, like a predator stalking its prey.
The man squeaked pathetically when his boss squeezed and twisted his jaw at the same time.
"I am the only person who's allowed to kill him." he hissed venomously. "A mere low servant like you isn't worth such a precious, pureblooded royal like him." He continued, his eyes gleaming with maniacal urges. "Did I make myself clear ?"
The scared man managed to nod lightly, albeit the minimal movement he could do.
"Good boy." Another smile was placed on the young man face. He stepped back a bit.
He felt relief coursing through him when his boss released his abusing hold on his jaw.
But his relief was -again- short lived.
"It's just too bad that I hate good boys." The young man chirpily said while waving playfully.
"N-no please n-"
BANG.
.
.
The young man just hummed happily while his right hand man walked beside him calmly, as if he hadn't stole a father's life from a family.
"Such a naughty boy, aren't you,Love ?" His right hand man smirked slightly at the sight of his lover's relaxed posture.
The said man just grinned. "You love it anyway."
The so-called right hand man just smirked in reply before opening the exit door, leaving behind a mangled corpse of a man with '1' letter carved deeply on his face.
Kuroko's Private Villa
Tetsuya's Room
04.00 PM
With an inaudible sigh, Kuroko plopped down onto his silk covered bed. A small, slightly wet towel hung around his bare should, indicating that his shower was fairly recent and after grueling hours of training under the unforgiving heat of the sun, was much needed. Although he was pretty sure he wouldn't get tanned, that did not include getting sunburned.
He and his team were currently on a "special training resume", practicing near his family's villa on the mountain top. It made him feel slightly nostalgic, the training schedule; years ago, he had the same training under the tutelage of his, now ex, mentor, who personally foresaw the Generation of Miracles' growth.
With his new team, it seemed they had all of the basic skills needed, but they were severely weak compared to his old 'friends'. Stamina, strength, power, even concentration and the ability of multitasking, all of them needed to be improved. And now, he and Riko's father, who surprisingly was also a skilled mentor, reached an agreement that his subordinates needed to put his earlier training into action as well as familiarizingthem with every possible survival situation.
They've been here for ten days; eight out of those ten were spent with them completely independent from outside help as they lived in the wilderness. He divided up his teammates into two groups: the defensive and offensive.
On the first two days, he would join the defending group. The main objective of the defending team was to protect him, while the offensive team was supposed to kidnap him from the defense.
On the third and fourth day, he would make the teams switch roles before joining them; the offensive became defensive, and vice versa. On the fifth and six, along with seventh and eighth, he followed the basic routine, but instead of joining defense, he joined offense.
To make it even more real, he agreed to limit the amount of water, food, and other necessities they may need when they were in the forest. It was harsh and tiresome, but it paid off in the end nonetheless.
The results were immediate. Their skill and senses increased dramatically; from the harsh and foreign environment, it would have been surprising if they hadn't improved. They could now withstand stressful and unpleasant situation better with a cooler and more rational head.
But of course, not everything was perfect yet. It was blatant that they were unsure of what to do more often than not. They were still mentally unprepared for the whole ordeal, not that he blamed them though. He was sure that half of them were only doing these 'extra' lessons just for the sake of their families, while the other half were indeed interested in continuing their family's business. But even then, he could bet on one of his cars that they weren't that serious. They weren't exactly aimed and trained to be the substitutes of the future king and advisors.
It's not that he was being arrogant to think that at least the GoM would be a candidate, after all, the official list wasn't even released and may not be until another three to five years; the current king never mentioned when he would retire. But, he would be lying if he said that there wasn't at least a good chance that the GoM would be a firm candidate for the throne. It would have been foolish of him to think otherwise, especially since the GoM has been and is the main contributor, even to the point of being directly involved during The Confusion years ago.
Generation of Miracles, it was a title they found hilariously ridiculous at first, but now, it has created fear through the underground society.
Kuroko was silent as he observed the evening sun's shining through his window, the natural environment visible through the streak of light. He sipped on a bottle of fresh water as his right hand mussed his wet locks, drying them.
To be honest, he had never thought that he would be involved in such… a complex situation. His father never pressured him to inherit his father's position nor had the older man forced him to train harder to inherit the throne. More often than not, he sensed that his father and mother did not actually wish for him to get further involved in this underworld society. One couldn't actually leave the underworld's network of course, especially when they were born into it, but at least with his position, he could focus on the company his father owns, the one that had little to do with the underworld; there may be the obligation to occasionally help some things in the underground work, but it would most likely be a rare thing.
Even after he met Akashi and the others, the thought of being the king's candidate and his advisors had never crossed his mind. He just wanted to get stronger, strong enough to be able to properly protect his father and mother but, more importantly, to protect Akashi. Perhaps it was a more ridiculous notion in the eyes of others, but they would never be able to understand, to feel what he felt, to see Akashi at his breaking point.
His protectiveness didn't end with Akashi. Soon, the need to protect expanded slowly to his little family he gathered. Friends at first, they later became the most precious persons to him: Akashi, Aomine, Momoi, Midorima,Murasakibara, Kise. Without their realization, they've founded a group exclusively for themselves, one that would protect each other from manipulation, pain, corruption.
Not too long after they were noticed for their talents, they started to change; no longer were they just innocent teens, as the time passed, now, they were powerful, influencing adults who have spilled the blood of too many to ask for atonement. They had killed and sacrificed many lives; it did not matter to them whether they were innocent or not, accident deaths and intentional were just the same.
When this painful truth had finally sunk into him, he broke down. If he remembered correctly, it was near the beginning of The Confusion too. While he wasn't new to murder and the like, the notion of taking lives with his own hands, the fact that he may have killed a father or a son… What if the man he just killed had a daughter waiting for him to return to read a bedtime story? What if he had a mother who was waiting for him before dinner started? What if he had an unborn child?
The killing itself wasn't repulsive to him, not until those facts reached his mind. From that day forward, he tried not to kill unless absolutely necessary, but even then, his mind would go blank, and his mind would wonder as instinct took ahold. It was complicated.
Whenever he killed, he never felt the blood on his hands. The assassinations he planned, some he even performed, had targeted those who he deemed were too dangerous and corrupted for his family's safety. But back then, he felt no regret. It was as if he was blind to empathy, believing that he was making a better place by killing them.
But in reality, he wasn't.
It was in The Confusion that his eyes were forcibly opened to the reality, that people kill each other for power. Chaos ensued everywhere, danger of assassination lurked in every corner, innocent lives were sacrificed right and left, heir and heiresses of influential families were in constant danger. Some were successful, some weren't, but it still produced the same result: war against the families or organization who they thought tried to kill them. Terrorism was everywhere, in both upper and under parts of society. The Heads and its respective crown heirs and heiresses had to make decision, trying to stop and banish the chaos, and all of these decisions endangered someone else's lives, leaving a never ending cycle of danger.
It was his ex-mentor and his father who had helped him accept all of these and move on.
"The one who wants to wear the crown must bear its weight."
"But, I don't want it."
"Hmm… perhaps you don't. But, how can you be truly sure?"
"What are you implying?"
"We're human, Kuroko. We need power to survive: survival for the fittest, remember?"
"That doesn't change anything. Power only brings chaos. "
"True, true, but with power, comes the ability to protect others, to make them safe."
"But, it also comes with the ability to destroy others to ensure it."
"Power is both sides of a like coin. Without its bad side, the good side won't come out, and vice versa. We protect because there's danger. There's danger because we protect. Not everyone has the same value of what's dangerous and what is needed to protect. That difference is in the one which run this never ending cycle. "
Kuroko was silent.
"Listen Kuroko, no one is going to judge you if you retreat now. As you already know, you're already halfway through. Either you fall back and retreat to safety or fight with bloodstained hands. Which will you choose?
"I have to fight. You know that as much as I do, Coach." A bitter smile adorned his pale face.
"No." He sternly said as he sat beside Kuroko. "I won't lie and say that you don't have to fight because you're innocent. But, you have the option to back off now and stop the amount of blood that you will spill if you continue."
"And what about the innocent lives I've taken? I have to fight for their sakes as well, but that also means that I'll have to shed more blood!" He raised his voice. Never in his life had he lost his composure like this.
"Isn't that the reason why you need the crown, Kuroko? So that the sacrifices that have been made won't be in vain?"
"That's a lie..." Kuroko whispered. "A lie which humans make to make it easier to recover from their loss and grief, to justify their actions."
"Exactly." His mentor stood. "That's human nature." Then, he walked toward the door.
"But do you know, Kuroko?"
Kuroko looked up.
"That if you lie hard enough, it'll soon become a truth? That's all it takes to change your reality." He smiled before he closed the door, believing that his student would understand the deeper meaning of it.
The day after the conversation took place, he went to Akashi, ready to report to duty.
That kind of aspect was the one he didn't know how to convey to his subordinates. They still had a lot to learn, even him. They hadn't even grazed the surface of other basic skills, like emergency medical attention or adaptation in weapon use.
Kuroko sighed loudly as he relaxed his stiff and sore muscles. He closed his eyes for a while before opening them again. He didn't make any motion to move, just lying there on his bed as he stared at the ceiling. Five minutes didn't even pass when his phone beeped. Lazily, Kuroko made his way to the nightstand, picking up the phone in order to answer it.
Momoi texted, asking about his condition and the like, which he was sure, was going to be forwarded to the others; it was how they communicated with each other. In one message, he was informed about Midorima actually agreeing to partner up with someone who's as talkative as Momoi as his partner, Murasakibara being unusually talkative about someone, Aomine jokingly titled as 'sloth' within his group since he slept instead of trained, Kise going to another country for his modeling shoots, promising to bring back numerous souvenirs, and how Aomine earned Momoi's forgiveness by dragging his ass to Hokkaido just to buy her favorite dorayaki since he pissed her off.
It wasn't always Momoi; occasionally,Aomine would be the one to send the messages, sometimes Midorima, Murasakibara, or Kise.
But there was no word from Akashi. No message, no news, nothing at all.
It was useless to worry about this; after all, this wasn't the first time there was no word about the redhead. But, he couldn't help it.
Kuroko groaned as his train of thought ran back to the very man he tried to forget. He felt the frustration come back to him at full force. And he mentally groaned even more as a vague idea of what type of frustration entered his mind. Ever since Akashi came back to his life, his hormones have gone haywire, gone was the usual control he wield over them.
He quickly typed a reply and locked his phone back. Before he was able to put it back on the nightstand, the speaker's voice filled his room.
"Kuroko~, come to the main playroom! Kagami and Junpei-chan made some snacks and drinks!"
He ignored the message and opted to go to sleep instead; unfortunately, he realized that he was quite hungry. It was really convenient to put a speaker and a small mike into each room and corridor, he thought as he made his way to the nightstand.
"Why don't you bring some food to my room and watch a movie instead?" Kuroko said into the small mike. With this, he will still get the rest he need, food, and spend some quality time with his friends.
"Okay!" Riko's voice vertebrate in his room.
Kuroko walked to find his remote and turned on the LCD as well as his laptop. He remembered that Murasakibara had put up all of the group's movie collection in a server. He just needed to copy the movie they were going to watch later into his server.
After checking that he had copied the files correctly, Kuroko went to his closet and opened a fairly large compartment filled with extra pillows and thick blankets that his mother insisted were necessary to have in each room. With his arms full of blankets and pillows, he walked over to his large bed and dropped it. He also pulled the extra bed from underneath, so it would be more comfortable.
He was starting to wonder if his friends got lost within the villa, a thought that was quite amusing, until he heard a knock.
"Kuroko ?"
"Come in." Kuroko politely said, and soon, Riko and the rest went into his spacious room.
"Excuse us…." They chorused together.
"Wow... You sure have an amazing bedroom…" Koganei commented as he looked around.
"Our room was also spacious, if only you didn't mess it with your things everywhere." Hyuuga sarcastically said.
"Hey!"
Kuroko only shook his head in slight amusement, noticing that his friends had also brought their pillows and blankets from their room.
"What would you like to watch?" Kuroko asked.
"Anything would be fine." Hyuuga calmly said.
"How about BBC Sherlock?"Riko popped in.
"Sure." Kuroko nodded and walked to his desk, copying the files to his laptop.
"Sher-what ?"Koganei asked.
Riko rolled her eyes. "Sherlock Holmes, but instead the movie, the tv series is much better." Riko sighed happily. "I only watched the first episode, butit's amazing." Riko added. Her enthusiasm could clearly be seen. "Do you have the complete series, Kuroko ?"
He nodded and watched Riko jumped in joy, but that's when he noticed the absence of three other people.
"Where are Kiyoshi-san, Izuki-san, and Kagami-kun ?" Kuroko asked.
"Um, they said they would make more food." Koganei answered as he rolled around on the lower bed.
"I see-"
His sentence was cut short when there was another knock on his door.
Since he was the closest to the door, he opened it, only to reveal Kiyoshi, Izuki, and Kagami who brought two trolleys, full of food and drinks.
"Food!"Koganei cheered.
Kuroko stepped out to let them in.
"Excuse us." Kiyoshi said as he wheeled the trolley in.
Kuroko then closed the door and walked back to his laptop in order to load the movies. When he turned around, he realized that Kagami was trying to hide his blush, though it wasn't very convincing. It didn't actually help him since his gaze was obviously directed to Kuroko's body.
Internally frowning, Kuroko discreetly look down and realized that he was still topless.
Which mean that his tattoo was showing.
Silently, he tried to walked pass the mirror in the room to check whether the tattoo was revealed or not, fast enough to lessen his anxiety but slow enough to not make anyone suspicious.
Kuroko breathed a relieved sigh. The towel which hung around his shoulder covered the tattoo. Without wasting any time, he quickly took a random t-shirt from his closet and put it on before he went back into his bedroom.
All of his friends were already comfortable sitting on the bed, aside of Kiyoshi and Kagami who were still passing out the food. Most of them chose to occupy the lower bed or nearest plushy sofas he had, while only Riko and Hyuugaused the upper part.
Taking the remote back from the desk, he quickly pushed the play button as Kiyoshi and Kagami crawled onto the upper part of the bed with enough food for the five of them.
To avoid slight discomfort, Kuroko promptly wedged himself between Riko and Kiyoshi. Kiyoshi, who appeared to understand Kuroko's action, also quickly made himself comfortable.
Kuroko was slightly surprised when he didn't see a slight frown or any notion of annoyance on Kagami's face. Instead, he found his partner deep in his thought.
'Oh well.' Kuroko shrugged.
He turned off the light with a press from the remote and enjoyed the movie.
After all, when would be the next time he could actually relax?
Time skip
Before they actually realize it, they had managed to finish the first season of Sherlock, but then again, it contained only three episodes per season. It was around half past seven that they decided to finally 'use' the hired chefs and maids in his Villa to prepare dinner. Even with the amount of snacks and junk food they've consumed, it seemed that it still wasn't enough.
Eight days without proper meals was scary indeed.
So, they went into the dining room and had their dinner there. It was quite eventful as usual before they officially deemed the night as movie night. They went their separate ways in order to change into pajamas before slipping back into Kuroko's room and continuing their earlier activity.
Kuroko was just stretching his rather stiff legs under the blanket when his phone beeped, alerting him of a new email. Unlocking his phone, Kuroko frowned a bit when he read that the email was from Akashi. The email was empty aside from an application attachment and a simple, 'be safe'.
Realizing that it might be important, Kuroko turned his head to Izuki.
"Izuki-san, could you pass me my iPad on the desk beside you?" Kuroko asked politely.
"Sure thing."Izuki nodded. He took the iPad and gave it to Kuroko.
"Thank you." Kuroko said. He casually downloaded the attachment and installed it.
What he found made him sigh.
.
.
Kagami had just finished his trip to the bathroom after dinner and began walkingback into Kuroko's bedroom. He was too distracted to even pay attention to the movies.
His head was filled with Kuroko.
When he saw Kuroko's state of undress earlier, it had made his heart beat louder than he swore was possible, loud enough that its beat was roaring loudly in his ear. It was definitely not the first time he saw Kuroko topless, even though the smaller man dislike to be in such state of undress. He preferred to have at least one layer of clothing over his entire body, especially in the presence of a female. He swore that Kuroko was one of the top five most chivalrous people he known in his life, and that said a lot since he knew a lot of people.
To see Kuroko so comfortably show his bare upper half and looked so indifferent about it was something new to him. It was a new side he had yet to see after all of their time spent together.
Then again, Kuroko Tetsuya, as the Heir and a member of the feared Generation of Miracles, was a whole other side. He might have known quite a lot about Kuroko Tetsuya, his basketball teammate, but did he know Kuroko Tetsuya, the Heir?
There was no question about it. He knew nothing.
Kuroko was like both sides of the coin, two completely different sides, yet they were still the same. The Kuroko he knew back then and the Kuroko he knew now were the same yet, at the same time, different.
He couldn't help but doubt his friendship. Was the Kuroko he knew, the Kuroko he liked, were they really the same Kuroko? Or was it all a façade?
Kagami turned the knob into Kuroko's supposed bedroom and slipped in to see Kuroko casually playing on his iPad, his nimble fingers grazing the surface of the glass. His posture was really loose compared to the Kuroko he used to know. He looked as if he actually felt relaxed and, dare he say, completely at ease. When he closed the door, Kuroko looked up to him and offered a small Kuroko-ish smile before turning his attention back to his iPad.
Ah.
It finally dawned upon him.
Even if the Kuroko he first knew was a façade, it didn't matter.
He would still like Kuroko in the end. He couldn't say that he loved Kuroko with absolute certainty, but the way he felt definitely has reached a more-than-crush feel.
How stupid of him.
Shaking his head, Kagami made his way to Kuroko's side. Kiyoshi was nowhere to be found, probably back to his room to change his clothes, and the others decided to continue watching the movie, dressed in their pajamas and laying in a 'puppy pile'.
Plopping down to Kuroko's side, he peeked over Kuroko's shoulder, wondering what the smaller male was up to.
He only saw a bunch of photos along with some short review about their biography. What was Kuroko doing with these?
"What's that Kuroko?" Kagami asked as he opened a can of cola and passed it to Kuroko before he took one for himself as well.
"It's a hit man list." Kuroko said.
"A hit man list?" Kagami asked, surprised.
"Sei sent me this to warn me about the dangerous thugs around our area." Kuroko shrugged lightly.
"There are hit men in this area?" Kagami frowned. He may not really know this area well, but he was fairly sure that hitman would rarely bother to go to rural areas like the one they were in now; it was mostly filled with traditional villages and a lot of wilderness. Also, innocent civilians were the majority in this part of town, unlike the large cities where those involved with the underground system were rampant.
"It's okay Kagami-kun." Kuroko tried to comfort the red haired man. "This area is known for its peaceful state, and I think this is one of few places in Japan that has newly turned into a neutral ground. It most likely that Sei-kun wanted to warn us just in case, but otherwise, there isn't any point in sending this. They're probably on vacation or something similar to that." Kuroko continued.
"Besides, I've got you guys beside me, right?" Kuroko offered his comforting smile to the edgy young man. He understood Kagami'sconcerns, but it was meaningless to worry about something this insignificant. But it's not that he belittled them though, he would still be on guard, but he knew Akashi well enough to know that Akashi had sent some of his men to assure his safety.
"Right." Kagami smiled lightly even though some tenseness was still visible in his posture.
Kuroko closed the application and locked his iPad before he put it on his lap. He noted to himself to check on the perimeters tonight before Kiyoshi got his attention.
"Hey, Kuroko, I heard the maids talking about some sort of festival in a village near here. Do you want to go?" Kiyoshi asked as he offered a plate full of seasoned nori to him.
"A festival?"Riko asked as she closed the door behind her.
"Yeah, apparently it's an annual festival where they celebrate memories of the deceased or something like that…" Kiyoshi shrugged.
"Sounds fun." Kuroko nodded. "We're done with our training for now, so let's walk around tomorrow." Kuroko said.
Chorus of cheers echoed in his bedroom.
The next day
Kuroko's Villa
03:30 PM
Kuroko covered his mouth as he tried to stifle his yawn; he was still rather sleepy and tired. He didn't know the exact time he fell asleep, but the last time he checked the clock it was around half past one. Seeing how he woke up at eight this morning, it was granted that he would feel tired.
As he promised, he took his friends to tour around the area. Their ecstatic expressions were worth the weariness, and he smiled to himself. His father used to take him around the village whenever they came to the Villa, bringing warm nostalgia.
He was currently walking around the annual festival with the rest of his team. It was just as he remembered long ago; the festival was very lively and refreshing. Apple candies and other sweet goodness could be found everywhere within the perimeter. Several foods stalls were scattered around the area so that it wouldn't inconvenience people with long lines; traditional masks were also sold there.
It was very nostalgic. The last time he came here was with Akashi and the rest of Generation of Miracles, though in the end, they've left both him and Akashi alone for some 'quality time' as Kise put it.
Kiyoshi was having a casual conversation with Kagami behind him, Riko and Hyuuga left earlier for some alone time,Kiyoshi and Izuki decided to taste every food the sellers have to offer here. Koganei,Mitobeand the others also left the group to play some games. There were only three of them left, deciding to walk around in order to pass the time since they were waiting for the midevening fireworks.
His train of thought was cut short when he felt a small tug on his Yukata. A bit startled, though he didn't show it, Kuroko turned his head to the source of his surprise. There stood a young boy, no more than six years old, who was wearing a lively green yukata, two pink sticks of cotton candy in his hand.
Crouching to be on the same level of the boy, he spoke, "Are you lost?" Kuroko asked softly. He always had a soft spot for children.
The kid didn't speak, only offering one of his cotton candy to him as a response.
Confused, Kuroko took the cotton candy from the kid's small hand. Then, the kid pointed his finger behind him. Even more confused than before, Kuroko followed his finger and turned around.
His breath hitched.
There stood Akashi. With a midnight blue yukata and maroon obi, he looked even more dignified and handsome. Just like a true royal, he naturally oozed an undeniably intense aura of grace and power that no rival could compete with. It even made nature, itself, look like that it bended under his rules and commands. It was as if he was an Emperor coming out to entertain his nation's ordinary inhabitants because of a simple whim, who came out from his rightful throne to play with his nation's ordinary inhabitants.
In his stupor, he watched as Akashi's sinful lips tilted into a smirk; his signature devilish smirk could have countless females and males swoon just by a short glance. His eyes were sharp, full of hidden intelligence, as if he held the world's secret under the palm of his hand. And those very eyes were looking at him with such intensity that left him rather hot and bothered. Who wouldn't?
Snapping out from his daze, Kuroko stood from his crouching position, still holding onto the cotton candy in his left hand. His legs quivered a bit, but he knew no one, but Akashi,could notice as he maintained his calm and cool façade.
With even graceful steps, Akashi walked towards him with the same smirk carved onto his attractive face. When Akashi finally stood right in front of him, he fell to one of his knees, took his right hand, and gently kissed it like a true English gentleman.
"You look lovely tonight, my Empress." Akashi whispered in his charismatic deep voice, captivating Kuroko for a second before he remembered where he currently was.
Fighting down a blush as his insides jumbled around, Kuroko answered in a monotone voice, "Thank you."
"Your coldness never ceases to allure me into your complicated dance of courtship, love." Akashi humbly said before he stood to his feet once more. Kuroko could faintly smell the Acqua di Gio Akashi used; however, he still maintained his façade,stubbornly ignoring it, so he could continue his control.
"But then again, I was the only one to receive your passion, so this cold façade you desperately hold towards me will not discourage me from having you back in my arms." Akashi continued as he confidently stared into Kuroko's eyes.
"You're surprisingly talkative tonight, Sei." Kuroko said,sarcasm obviously etched in his voice. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm hurt." Akashi put his hand over his chest with faked pained tone, but the smirk was still present. "Couldn't an Emperor visit his Empress in this joyous festival?"
"No." Kuroko flatly rejected with a firm distaste on his face.
But, Akashi ignored his rejection as he held out his hand. "Come with me, my Queen. Show me around this festival." Akashi said. Although he didn't order Kuroko, it was still difficult to refuse him at the same time.
When Kuroko didn't budge from his position, Akashi taunted him even more. "What's there to even fear, my Empress? After all, I do not bite. Much." Akashi said teasingly.
Kuroko ignored Akashi's innuendos as they held out a staring contest before Kuroko receded. He put his right hand on top Akashi's.
"As you wish… my Emperor." Kuroko said with evident mockery and coldness.
Akashi smiled rather arrogantly before he intertwined their fingers together.
"Kiyoshi-san, I believe you can take care of the others. Don't wait for us." Akashi ordered in his usual commanding tone.
"Of course, Akashi-san." Kiyoshi bowed a bit in respect.
Akashi nodded in acknowledgement before he pulled Kuroko's hand and walked with Kuroko through the town.
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"That was uncalled for, Sei." Kuroko quickly remarked as soon as they disappeared from his friends' view.
"I don't know what you're talking about, Love." Akashi replied as he pulled a piece of the cotton candy and popped it into his mouth.
"You're unbelievable." Kuroko uncharacteristically sighed as he also ate some of the cotton candy.
"So I've been told." Akashi calmly replied.
A quite comfortable silence filled between them as they consumed the cotton candy together.
"I'm sorry for not being in touch for the past few days. I was busy dealing with some pests. How was your day?" Akashi asked as he stopped in front of a drink stall.
"I'm sure your men have filled you in during your 'absence'." Kuroko started. "But, everything's fine." Kuroko shrugged as he threw the cotton candy cone into the nearest bin.
"Hmm." Akashi mused as he offered a cup full of cold orange juice to Kuroko, who took it.
"How was your training with your subordinates? Any improvement?" Akashi probed again as they walked around the festival.
"I thought you didn't acknowledge them?" Kuroko countered.
"I don't. But, you'll get angry if I say otherwise." Akashi truthfully said. "And I want you to fully enjoy our time together."
"Let's go to the auntie who sells Ikayaki and Dango. I want some." Akashi tugged Kuroko's hand with a smile.
Kuroko sighed in defeat the moment he saw the redhead smile.
It looks like he lost.
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The rest of the night turned out to be fine, fun even. No matter how hard he tried to act like he was indifferent and upset, Akashi managed to break to break a smile from his passive face, letting the two of them enjoy nostalgic moments.
Kuroko found out that Akashi hadn't eaten anything for six hours, other than the cotton candy, so he took it upon himself to buy Akashi some Yakisoba in order to fill his empty stomach before they bought Ikayaki.
They've just paid for some Ikayaki when a little girl offered Akashi her products. He thought that Akashi would only breeze past the girl, just like how he did to other sellers who didn't interest him, but he was proven wrong. Without much thought, Akashi pointed at a pair of colorful bracelets made from cloth fabric, paying way more than the original price. As the young girl fumbled with the change, Akashi plucked an Ikayagi and gave it to the girl, both surprising and confusing the girl.
Kuroko smiled internally as he watched Akashi told the girl to keep the change. A wave of content filled him as he saw a faint smile visible on Akashi's face as the girl brightened up and bowed deeply in appreciation before bolting away.
He was too deep thought when a slight rub on his left wrist brought him back to reality.
"It suits you." Akashi commented. A bit stunned, Kuroko turned his attention to his wrist, which now adorned the bracelet. The other was hanging on Akashi's right wrist.
He smiled slightly. "Won't people get shocked later? The Akashi Seijuuro is wearing a bracelet for couples?"
"I live to amaze the people below us." Akashi shrugged.
"Who are you, and what have you done to the Sei I know?" Kuroko dryly said as he let his fingers intertwine with Akashi's once more.
"He's here, just loosing up enough to relax." Akashi smirked as they continued their way to the dango seller.
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"It has been years since we came here." Akashi commented as they enjoyed the remaining of their Dango, the last of the fireworks finishing.
"Hn." Kuroko replied.
Another comfortable silence filled between them as they watched people moving around the festival below them.
"Are you fond of Kagami?" Akashi asked out of the blue.
"Huh?" Kuroko replied. "What do you mean, Sei?"
"Both of you are awfully close." Akashi said in a rather monotone voice.
"We are." Kuroko unashamedly confirmed. "Though, I don't see why it's any of your business."
"Leave him, Tetsuya." Akashi said with slight commanding tone.
"I won't." Kuroko rebutted. "I see no harm in staying with Kagami-kun."
Akashi openly frowned at the attached suffix. "Leave him."
"No, I won't." Kuroko replied with equal stubbornness. "Why, Sei? Are you jealous that he's close to me?"
Kuroko's last sentence was meant to scorn Akashi, but Akashi's next action threw him off.
Before he knew it, he was inches away from the ground while Akashi's arm right beside his, dominating Kuroko's figure. Their faces were mere centimeters apart.
"Yes, I'm extremely jealous. And what will you do?" Akashi whispered huskily and slowly. His eyes stared directly to Akashi's, never breaking off the contact as the world around them seemed to stop moving.
"I have to fight for every tooth and nail to get an ounce of your attention, and yet, he spends so much time with you everyday. How do you expect me to not get jealous, Tetsuya?" Akashi whispered.
Kuroko let out a small scoff. "You're a fool, Sei-kun." Kuroko whispered back and closed the gap between them.
Tonight, just tonight, he would give in to temptation.
With a small yawn, Akashi opened his eyes and let his mind wonder around his surroundings. The hazy daze of sleep quickly washed away as his eyes caught the sight of his lover nestled over his chest, peacefully sleeping. With a smile, he watched Kuroko as he slept, which was a very precious moment he took for granted in the past. His eyes caught the digital clock Kuroko put on his nightstand; it was half past eight.
Well, since he was already here, he might as well make Kuroko used to his constant presence. The man was probably exhausted from his grueling training and from last night's activities, so he decided to make some chicken soup along with some fish for Kuroko.
Carefully untangling their limbs, Akashi managed to get off the bed without waking up the bluenette, fixing the blanket so that Kuroko wouldn't be too cold from the AC. He quickly took a shower and dressed in a navy blue shirt and white pants that the maids had prepared in Kuroko's closet. He took one last look at Kuroko's face before he slipped out from the room.
He found the kitchen with relative ease , not at all surprised at the presence of his lover's subordinates. Shock was evident on their faces before it changed into wariness and suspicion. A daggered glare in particular was thrown to him by a certain red haired man.
He ignored them of course. They weren't worth of his time.
He's also not surprised when the hired chefs weren't there, only the basic maids were present. He opened the refrigerator and took out the necessary ingredients he needed and started cooking.
'Live to amaze people indeed.' Akashi thought dryly, certain that Kuroko's teammates were shocked at the sight of him cooking.
As usual, only Kiyoshi was the one who was brave enough to talk to him.
"Akashi-san, why are you cooking? The maid can cook for you." Kiyoshi said nicely as if he wasn't at all disturbed by the tense atmosphere.
"It's for Tetsuya." Akashi replied. "He's going to be very tired, so he'll need to recover his energy and nutrition he lost in the training." Akashi explained, deciding to humor the man.
"I see...Well, don't let us disturb you then." Kiyoshi said wisely and motioned his teammates to leave the kitchen.
Before all of them could go, Akashi spoke calmly. "Kagami, stay."
The said man didn't look surprised. He just kept his silence as his teammates left the kitchen concerned but unwilling to stop and find out what Akashi had in mind with Kagami.
"I know you're aware of the meaning of the tattoo, Kagami." Akashi started as he chopped the onion into small pieces.
"So ?" Kagami challenged.
"So," Akashi said calmly as he continued chopping. "Remember your place in our life."
"You don't control his life." Kagami countered.
"I know your secret, Kagami… or, should I say, the son of the Ferocious Lion?" Akashi turned off the stove, revealing a perfectly boiled potato.
"How-"
"Just consider this as my first warning, Kagami." He stared eye to eye with the Ace of Seirin. "One wrong move and you're out of the game. Dismissed." Akashi threatened as he dismissed the red head.
Unable to think properly, Kagami quickly walked out of the kitchen and slammed the door. But despite his angry appearance, he panicked; he knew his secret.
'Ah, what a perfect morning.' Akashi thought with a smirk.
The Confusion will be explained maybe in the next chapter or so, since it has major part in explaining Kuroko's withdrawal situation. your hands going to be dipped in blood = means that you're going to spill a lot of blood, enough for your hands to dip in it to survive for the sake of your family and yourself.
That if you lie hard enough and take it into your heart, that it's going to be a reality = not an illusion per se, but if you think about it, if you have belief in your lie, unconsciously, you'll try to make it into reality. Maybe you won't really understand it in this meaning, but I hope, in the future you would. Just think that it's the twisted version of 'dream'. The 'aspiration' kind of dream.
Please leave a review~ A review made my day brighter than before :D
